Coupler



Patented .lune Z4, 1924.

narran stares nears? JOSEPH susro, or 'LEWIS RUN, PENNSYLVANIA. v

COUPLER.

Application filed .Tune 2,

To all whom t may concern.

Be it knownthatl, Josnrrr Sosio, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lewis Run, in the county of McKean and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Coupler, of which thefollowing is a specilication.

This invention aims to provide a simple means whereby the continuity ofan air line or steam line may beV established when two cars are broughttogether and coupled,

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the inventionappertains.

l/Vith the above and otherobjects in view, which will appear as thedescriptiony proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the de# tails of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope 'ofwhat is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the inventionshown can be made without departing from Vthe spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: v,

Figure 1 shows in elevation, va device con-` structed in accordance withthe invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation, showing one of the casingsand attendant parts; `Figure 3 is a fragmental sectionftakenon the line3 3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a fragmental section taken on the line 4 4of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a longitudinal Section5; Figure 6 is a crosssection on the line 6 6 of/Figure 5; Figure 7 is across sectionon'theline 7 7 of Figure 5.

The device forming the subject matter of this application comprises acasing which is denoted generally by the numeral 1. The casing l may bemade in various ways, but it may include a tubular body 2 and a rear endmember 3 having a partition 4 provided with an opening 5, a closure 6cooperating with the rear end member. The forward end member of thecasing is marked by the numeral 7 and is supplied at its rear end .witha partition 8 having a port 9, the forward end member being equippedwith an inwardly extended annular flange 10, against which abuts anannular gasket 11. Guide grooves 12, having inclined walls, arefashioned in the inner edge of the annular flange 10 and there arenotches 14 in the gasket 11, the notches being alined with the grooves.The gasket 11 is held with the inner edge of `elements 28 therebyholding the pivot ele- 1923. y serial' No. 643,129

the flange 10 through the `instrumentality of retractile springs 32,mounted in ktransverse Y bores 33 in the flange 10, the outer ends ofthe springs being carried by anchors 34fengaging'the `periphery of theforward end members 7.

The device embodies a valve opener 35 in# cluding a base plate 36 and aprojecting arm 37. The base plate36 is held by securing devices 38 onthe ypartition 8, the base plate being supplied with lu s 39, which areso located astoenga'ge the ea'ds 29 of the pivot ments againstaccidentaldetachment from the ears 27. i I A bracket 40 is securedat 41to the body 2 i of the 'casing' 1 and is mounted at 42`on a draw bar43er other support, the coupler being indicated at 44. A securingbracket 45 may be connectedat 46 to the closure 6 and may be' connectedyat 47 4to the draw bar or other support 43. f

` The air finds its way out of the casing l through a conduit 48 carriedby the closure 6.r ,The invention contemplates the use of two casingsand attendant parts of lthe ,kind

hereinbefore described, the casings and their parts being of identical"construction, saving that thelatches 30 `on one casing vare disposed 95in a 'plane atrightangles to the latches on thev other casing, so thatwhentwo cars 'come together, the ends of :the ylatches on the4respectiveca'singsfwill engage with the guide grooves 12, the latchesylirst swinging inward-` ly, the springs 32being elongated, and `thesprings then contracting, tol `cause the projections 31 of Vthe latchesto engage behind the flanges 10, thereby holding the gaskets 11 on the'flange 10 by securingelements 15, engaging the flange 10, and bysecuring devices 16, such as bolts, which pass through the gasket 11,the forward end member 7, the body 2, the rear end member 3 and theclosure 6, to hold the aforesaid parts together, the forward ends of thebolts 16 being countersunk, as at 17, into the gasket 11. Washers 18 maybe interposed between the parts 7 2, 2-3 and 3 6.

A valve 19 is hinged at 2O to the partition 8 and controls the port 9,the valve being supplied with a compressible gasket 21 adapted to bearagainst the partition 8 and to secure an hermetic closure. The deviceincludes a follower 22 including an annular head 26 having an opening23, the head of the follower being mounted on stems 24 4 mounted forreciprocation in the partition el, compression springs surrounding theVstems 24, the rear ends of the stems abutting against the partition il,and the forward ends of the stems abutting against the head 26 of thefollower 22 to hold the head of the follower against the valve 19,thereby retaining` the valve yieldably in closed position with `respectto the port 9. Since the head 26 of. the follower is of annular form,andl has the Vopening 23, the flow ofnair through the device isfacilitated when the valve 19 opens and when the follower 22 moves tothe right in Figure. The partition 8 is provided with forwardly extendedears 27 through which passy pivot elements 28v having-heads 29. lTheinner ends of latches, 30. are lmountedto swing on the pivot elements28the latches extending outwardly beyond the gasket 11 and being.

provided with laterallylextended projections 31. The intermediateportions of the latches 30 are held in abutment in contact as shown inFigure 1, to afford an hermetic joint.` Y

When thecouplers are brought together as aforesaid, the arm 31'on eachcoupler causes the'V valve 19 on the other coupler to swing to an openposition, the followers 22 retiring,the springs 25 being compressed,

Y the continuity of the air line thus being obtained. lhen the cars areseparated, the valve 19 moves toclosedposition, under the action of theresilientlyA advanced follower 22, the partsbeing restored to theposition shown in Figure 5.

VVWhat is claimed is:

1.1In a device of the classy described, a casing provided. intermediateits ends with an internal partition having a port, a swinging valvecarried byv the partition and controlling Vthe port, a` follower mountedfor right line sliding movemen-t in vthe casing and cooperating withVthe valve, spring means` for ,advancing the follower to hold the valveclosed with respect toV the port, latches mounted pivotally on thepartition and extended outwardly of the casing, and an opener carried bythe partition and so located as to open the valve of a like casing whentwo casings of the construction specified are brought together; Y

2.111 adevice of the class described, a casing having aV port, a valvecontrolling the port, a pivot element kon the casing, a latch mounted toswing on the pivot element, and an opener mounted on the casing andadapted to cooperate with the valve of a like casing,-the openercomprising 'a part engaging the pivot element to hold the pivot elementon the casing against detachment therefrom. y

v3. A vdevice of the class described c omprisingan intermediatepartition having a port, a hinged valve controlling the port, andmountedl on the partition, a: follower comprising a head engaging thevalve to.

hold the valve closed, the'head being provided with an opening for thepassage off 1 70 air, means for mounting the follower in the casing forright line sliding movement, spring means for advancing the follower,and a latch carried by the partition and extended forwardly with respecttothe casing.

4. A device of the class describedv comprising a casing provided:intermediateV its ends with a partition havinga port, a

valve controllingthe port, an opener projecting from the partition andadapted to cooperate with thelvalve of'a likel casing, spring means forclosing the valve,` and a latch mounted to Swing on the partition,

Intestimony that I vclaim the foregoingv Y as my own, I havehereuntoaffixed my signature m the-presence o-f two witnesses.

Jon sUsIo.

Witnesses Cnsinro. Sosio, RAYMOND F. HAVEN.

eoA

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby eertilied that in Letters Patent No. 1,499,197, grantedJune 9A, 1924, upon the application of Joseph Susio, of Lewis Run,Pennsylvania, for an improvement in' Couplers, an error appears in theprinted speeiieation requiring Correction as follows: Page 1, line 5G,beginning` with the Words with the inner edge of strike out all to andthrough the Words holding the gaskets 11 in lines 94 and 95, and insertthe same to follow after the Word abutment7 in line 23, page 2; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein thatthe same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of Noven'iber, A.. D. 1925.

[slaan] 1WM. A. KINNAN,

l .a Acting Commissioner of Patents.'

